MTA suspends EAGLE fare enforcement teams following violent incidents

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber has suspended the agency’s Evasion and Graffiti Lawlessness Eradication (EAGLE) bus fare enforcement teams. The decision follows several reports of violent altercations between agents and passengers that were allegedly not reported to leadership in a timely manner.

A significant catalyst for the suspension was a $25 million legal claim filed by Kyle Taylor, a Brooklyn school dean, who alleges he was assaulted by inspectors while riding a bus. Surveillance footage reportedly shows agents pinning Taylor to a bus shelter and striking him, resulting in injuries to his head, neck, and back.

Lieber stated that the stand-down should not be viewed as an end to the fight against fare evasion, which the MTA estimates has cost the agency between $300 million and $568 million in annual revenue. He noted that fare evasion rates on buses have risen to approximately 40% to 48%. The MTA has requested an investigation into the conduct and reporting protocols of these enforcement squads.